Guide for bows for violins



Aug. 6, 1929. F. CARUSO GUIDE FOR BOWS FOR VIOLINS Filed Aug. 22, 1927 ivf".

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Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES FRANK CARUSO, F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

GUIDE FOR BO`WS FOR VIOLINS.

Application lcd August 22, 1927. Serial No. 214,579.

My rinvention relates to improvements in guides for bows for violins and the like, such as the viola and the cello, in the form of a device that comprises a pair of guide wires that are extended acrossV the strings of the instrument and in spaced relation thereto, and `which wires are spaced one from the other for admit-ting the bow therebetween for guiding the bow during the use thereof and in particular for preventing the bow from deviating appreciably from the proper position relatively to the springs in such use thereof, and the object of my improvement is to produce such a guide for bows that is of relatively simple form, that can be manufaetui-ed economically, that is convenient and eiiicient under conditions of use, and that is easily applied to the violin and supported from the body thereof and can be quickly removed and stored in the violin case or the proper case for the particular instrument.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a guide for a bow for a violin embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is'a side elevation of the supporting end portion of the main part. y

Figure 4 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, the cooperating edge portion of a violin being indicated by broken lines.

My improved guide for bows for violins and the like is applied to the edge portion 11 of the body of a violin, as shown, and comprises a pair of wires 12 that serve as the guides proper or"in"dividual guides, being spaced from one another so that the intervening space 13 is suitable for admitting the bow of the instrument and will permit of the free use thereof in the usual and correct manner in the playing of the instrument.

Thewires or guides 12 are of bowed or arched form and are of suitable length so as to extend substantially from one side of the body 14 to the other and preferably so that the free ends 15 extend beyond and clear of said body 14 and at the left side thereof.

The ends of the guides 12 atthe right serve as the supporting ends and the manner of construction and the arrangement thereof may be considerably varied.

As shown, said guides 12 constitute the end portions of a single piece of wire that is bent generally into U-shape; that has certain special shapes and bends provided at and adjacent the middle and involving a return bend at the middle; the two sides being generally symmetrically formed and arranged; aud, also, having incorporated therein screw-operated clamping means for securing the guide to violin body and to permitthe free removal thereof.

The clamping means comprise for each guide 12 an upper shoulder or stop 16 for v engaging with the opposed upper edge 17 of the side or edge portion 11 of the violin body and which may be provided with a contactcushioning part 18. The stop 16 is formed by a return bend of thewire which the guide 12 is formed and the part 18 is a piece of rubber tubing that is slipped thereover.

Cooperating` clanu'iing'means for engaging with the bottom edge -19 of the edge portion 11 comprise a screw 20 that, as shown, is tipped with a contacting piece 21 of hard rubber' or some other non-metallic material that is relatively hard and suitable to reduce the liability of scratching the wood of the. violin body.

The fixed part 22 that cooperates with the screw is in the form of a screw-threaded bushing or nut and which, as shown, is housed' within a loop 23 in the wire. Said loop 23 is substantially at the middle of the wire length and is virtually a return bend of the wire of special form in that it is in the form of almost a complete circle. The parts of the wire adjacent the loop 23 are bent so as to position said loop 23 so that the screw 2O is directed towards the middle of the portion of the space 13 that is between the two laterally spaced shoulders or stops 16.

Below each stop 16 is a portion 26 of the corresponding strand 24 that connects with a corner or right-angled bend 25. The corners or right-angled bends 25 on the two sides are further connected each with one of the arms of the loop 23. The lengths of wire 26 and the length of the screw 2O are such as to provide suiicient range of movement to adapt y the guide structure to the different sizes of violins and also to include other instruments of a similar type.

The clamping screw 2O may be united to the tip 21 by a swivel connection. As shown, the screw 20 has a reduced stem 27 at the tip that is entered through the opening 28 in the tip or contacting piece 21 and the head 29 formed on the stem 27 is housed within a counter-bore or enlarged portion of the bore or opening 2S. l

Thus, as described, the guide as to the main structure is formed or" a single piece of wire that is bent to a modied U-sliape so as to form two sides, the bending being substantially symmetrical relatively to the middle part, and in which'said middle part is bent into substantially the tormof a circle for pr viding a socket for housing the nut for the clamping screvv.

ln use, said socket is positioned below the bottom corner edge of the instrument and the screw is screwed upwardly therethrough to client the clamping. Y

Thus the two sides extend from Said Socket upwardly past the lower edge corner of the instrument, alongside the side edge thereof, and past the upper edge corner thereof, and thence over and beyond the instrument` body and the strings, the end portions of said sides being quite free.

The di per clamping members are provided for each side by a return bend of the material of the'vvire, cushioned as described, which contacts with the upper edge corner.

The spread of the ends and the active guia ing portions that are over the strings Will be determined by the points of contact of the Vupper Clamping members or shoulders l5 and to provide Jfor an appreciablerange of adjustment.

The structure provides for three point con' tact as a whole, one Contact being common to the tivo sides, and one each individual.V

- I claim as my invention A bowv guide for violins 'formed of a single piece of Wire that is bent generally into U- shape so as to provide two sides relatively to the middle part ot said Wire, said middle part being formed into a socket, a nut for a clamping screw housed in said socket the parts being constructed and arranged .so that said clamping screw, operating in said nut, will bev dir cte-d upwardly for effecting the clamping, said sides being adapted to extend upwardly from said socket alongside the side edge of the violin with said socket below the lower corner thereof, and thence over the upper corner and over the violin body, and said sides being provided with means that serve individually as upper clamping members for contacting With said upper corner.

FRANK CARUSO. 

